Lightweight rear bumper beam

A bumper beam comprising:

• a first end portion and a second end portion,
• a center beam contiguous with and oriented between the first end portion and the second end portion,
• wherein the center beam comprises a front face and a back face;
• wherein the center beam has a center section and first and second end sections at opposite ends of the center section, the first and second end sections being adjacent to the first and second end portions, respectively,
• wherein the center beam comprises horizontal and vertical ribs extending either from or between the front face and the back face,
• wherein the bumper beam is made of a plastic material,
• wherein:
• a cross section of the center section defines a plurality of U-shaped pockets connected with a vertical flange at neighboring legs of the U-shaped pockets, and
• a cross section of the first and second end sections are a mirror image of the cross section of the center section, so that the vertical flange is located at one of the front and back faces of the center section and at the other one of the front and back faces of the first and second end sections,
• such that a load transfer path is created along the center beam from the center section via the first and second end sections to the first and second end portions.